NEWS BRIEFS

Santa Clara, CALIF. — NEC Electronics Inc. and MontaVista Software Inc., developer of the Hard Hat Linux operating system for embedded applications, announced that the Hard Hat Linux operating system has been ported to NEC’s VR4181, VR4121, VR5000 and VR5432 64-bit MIPS RISC microprocessors and evaluation platforms. With the combination of NEC’s processors and MontaVista’s Hard Hat Linux, and associated development tools, the companies are providing embedded systems designers with the necessary elements to quickly deliver high-performance embedded Linux solutions to market.

“MontaVista has a solid reputation within the embedded-Linux community for providing innovative software solutions and superior technical expertise,” said Karl Auker, assistant general manager for the VR Series microprocessors business unit at NEC Electronics. “We are pleased to work together to support the growing class of embedded-Linux designers and are confident these designers will quickly recognize the value of working with NEC’s VR Series microprocessors. In particular, our VR5432 microprocessor offers the performance and advanced features needed for a variety of emerging Linux-based products, including Internet appliances and office automation solutions.”

Kent McMullen, vice president of marketing for MontaVista Software added, “Today’s announcement with NEC is further proof of the acceptance of Linux and our Hard Hat Linux operating system in the embedded marketplace. Now, designers using NEC’s processors, including the powerful VR5432, can take advantage of our scalable operating system, which has been optimized to support the robust performance needed by today’s embedded systems.”

With this announcement, Hard Hat Linux now supports NEC’s evaluation boards featuring the VR4181, VR4121, VR5000 and VR5432 processors. Hard Hat Linux, a standard, off-the-shelf, binary distribution of the Linux operating system, offers embedded-system developers a mix of open-source and standard APIs, as well as unique open-source solutions. Hard Hat Linux is supported by a comprehensive tool suite that includes optimizing compilers for C, C++ and other languages, plus high-level-language debuggers, and performance-monitoring tools. MontaVista’s embedded-Linux software and tools provide the scalability and robustness required by well-designed embedded systems.

NEC’s 64-bit MIPS RISC microprocessors provide comprehensive solutions for embedded system designers. Developed around the MIPS RISC architecture, each VR Series microprocessor is forward code-compatible and highly scaleable. The VR4181 microprocessor is a highly integrated solution designed to provide excellent power consumption and performance attributes for cost-sensitive applications. The VR4121 microprocessor’s high speed, compact size and low power consumption make it ideal for use in battery-driven, portable and handheld systems. The 250 MHz VR5000 is a high-performance processor that is ideal for embedded applications in networking equipment, telecom equipment and high-end printers. The VR5432 microprocessor is a high-performance microprocessor designed for use in performance-driven embedded systems such as digital consumer appliances and image processing systems. The VR5432 at 167 MHz recently received strong EEMBC (EDN Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium) benchmark scores. EEMBC is an industry consortium that offers independent, lab-certified benchmarks based on real-world embedded microprocessor applications.

Furthermore, NEC Electronics is committed to providing complete design environment support for its VR Series microprocessors by offering a wide range of companion chipsets, development platforms and a comprehensive set of development tools.

MontaVista Software Inc., founded in 1999 by real-time operating system pioneer James Ready, delivers open-source software solutions for the worldwide embedded software market. MontaVista’s principal offering is the Linux operating system tailored for embedded software applications. MontaVista products include Hard Hat Linux, a standard off-the-shelf binary distribution of Linux for x86, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS and other microprocessor architectures.

Hard Hat Linux offers developers a mix of open-source and standard APIs, as well as unique open-source solutions for embedded design, including the MontaVista real-time scheduler and Hard Hat Net CompactPCI back-plane networking. Hard Hat Linux is supported by a comprehensive tool suite including optimizing compilers for C, C++ and other languages; high-level language debuggers; and performance monitoring tools.

NEC Electronics Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is one of the leading developers, manufacturers and suppliers of semiconductor products in the United States. Committed to meeting customers’ cost, performance and time-to-market requirements, the company offers solutions ranging from standard products to system-on-a-chip (SOC) solutions, as well as customized products for next-generation designs. For more information about products offered by NEC Electronics Inc., please visit the NEC Electronics web site at http://www.necel.com .

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